Where each one leads
Mazda Mazda3
- Against cars of the same age, the Mazda Mazda3 comes out better at its first MOT test (passes 2% less often than average) than the Renault Clio (passes 17% less often than average).
- Fewer Mazda Mazda3 cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (1.9% against 2.7%).
Renault Clio
- New Renault Clio cars registered in Europe in 2022 average 113 g/km of CO₂ on the WLTP test, against 129 for the Mazda Mazda3 in 2022.
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the petrol hybrid Renault Clio uses 5.2 l/100 km on the road, the Mazda Mazda3 7.0.
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the petrol Renault Clio uses 6.5 l/100 km on the road, the Mazda Mazda3 6.9.
Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare
At a glance
| Mazda Mazda3 | Renault Clio | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 2004–2026 | — |
| New cars registered in Europe | 427,669 (2010–2022) | 3,798,966 (2010–2022) |
| Licensed in the United Kingdom | 109,397 | 334,764 |
| On the road in the Netherlands | 22,191 | 168,507 |
| In traffic in Finland | 9,924 | 16,127 |
EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).
Reliability and problems
| Mazda Mazda3 | Renault Clio | |
|---|---|---|
| UK MOT first-time pass rate | 68% | 57% |
| … against cars of the same age | −2% | −17% |
| Illogical odometer records (NL) | 1.9% | 2.7% |
| US owner complaints | 2,992 | — |
| Most complaints about | Steering | — |
| Model year with most complaints | 2010 (686) | — |
| US recall campaigns | 29 | — |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 8,369 | — |
| NHTSA defect investigations | 7 | — |
Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).
Safety
| Mazda Mazda3 | Renault Clio | |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA overall rating | 5★ (2024) | — |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).
Fuel, emissions and price
| Mazda Mazda3 | Renault Clio | |
|---|---|---|
| Official combined fuel use, Canada | 7.8 l/100 km (2026) | — |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol hybrid | 7.0 l/100 km | 5.2 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol | 6.9 l/100 km | 6.5 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel | — | 4.9 l/100 km |
| Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe | 129 g/km | 113 g/km |
| Average power of new cars in Europe | 112 kW (150 hp) | 68 kW (92 hp) |
| Average mass in running order | 1,430 kg | 1,214 kg |
| Dutch list price when new (median) | €28,293 | €19,550 |
| Average odometer in Finland | 161,000 km | 120,000 km |
Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).